Global Kids is excited to announce that NYC Haunts -- our signature program where youth create a mobile, augmented reality game exploring local history and contemporary issues -- is blasting out to three Global Kids schools this Spring!

In the summer of 2012, Global Kids, Inc. launched a beta test of its planned digital badging system.
The test was designed to provide feedback on the system to support a Fall launch throughout the entire organization.
This Global Kids’ Badging System is built on top of Learning Times’ BadgeStack, and is part of a broader badging

Education Week wrote a piece highlighting two
Online Leadership Programs -
New York City Haunts and Race to the White House.
The article discusses using out-of-school-time
as a space to foster digital technology skills
and how it impacts learning.
Teenagers in New York's jobs program worked this summer with

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Global Kids has experimented with digital badging in various contexts for the past few years. From badging an afterschool program four years ago at the New York Public Library, to badging the Urban Biodiversity Network program at the American Museum of Natural History, Global Kids has used digital assessment to support youth to recognize, talk about, and demonstrate essential digital literacy skills. Currently, we are consulting with three schools as they develop badging systems for their students, developing our own badging system for all Global Kids youth programs, and supporting Hive NYC and Hive Chicago to build their digital badging systems and infrastructures.

The Challenge, launched in 2010, is a multi-year competition that aims to motivate interest in STEM learning among America's youth by tapping into students' natural passion for playing and making video games. Middle and high school students across the country are asked to create original video games, individually or as teams, and to submit their games for the opportunity to win important recognition for themselves and their communities. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center and E-Line Media are co-presenters of the STEM Challenge.

Youth representing MOUSE, the Rubin Museum, the POINT, MoMA, and Hive HQ gathered at Global Kids to learn about the new launch of the Hive Youth Council. The group is intended to represent the young people served by member organizations of the Hive Learning Network. Over the course of the year they will be responsible for helping to plan network wide events such as game jams, Emoti-Con!, and service days to name a few. Along with being a committee that represents the youth voice in the Hive, they will also be trained in digital media skills such as coding, game design, engineering, and much more.

The first session had students taking part in teambuilding activities and sharing what are some opportunities they hope to take part in as members of the council. It was evident that aside from learning new skills, they were interested in taking lead and educating their fellow peers. One of the popular requests was to visit other Hive member organizations throughout the year in order to get a better understanding of their missions and interact with their youth members.

GK is pleased to introduce a new member of the GK Family! Jack Martin joins us as Associate Director of the Online Leadership Program after many years of directing programs at the New York Public Library. At the Library, he partnered with GK to create NYC Haunts, our geolocative mobile gaming program. Jack also has an extensive background in theatre, the arts, technology, science, and dance. Welcome Jack!

Global Kids and the Hive Learning Network NYC have been busy designing a network-wide badge that can be used by all Hive NYC member organizations. We want to create a badge that motivates cross-network participation, demonstrates the key values and behaviors within the network, builds digital media skills, and increases meaningful participation at Hive NYC events.

For the past few months we've tackled some big design questions, developed user stories, and identified a list of challenge activities that youth can complete to earn the Hive NYC Badge (which has yet to have a fun name). You can view our badge design trajectory here:

About Global Kids

Global Kids, Inc. - the premier non-profit educational organization for global learning and youth development - works to ensure that urban youth have the knowledge, skills, experiences and values they need to succeed in school, participate effectively in the democratic process, and achieve leadership in their communities and on the global stage.

About OLP

The Global Kids Online Leadership Program (OLP) integrates a youth development approach and international and public policy issues into youth media programs that build digital literacy, foster substantive online dialogues, develop resources for educators, and promote civic participation.